Closure for envelopes and the like



l May 14,1946. -0 A. L. Gc-JDoY- 0 2,400,406

oLosUEFoR ENVELOPES AND THE LIKE Filed June 21, 1944 n Alai/rr ..a-aoor Patented May 141, 1946 -Thisinvention relates -to .closures for envelopes, memoranda'books, briefgcaseaiiles and other. containers. p

' jThe object of, theinventiorfisfto.provider a closurey they construction, of which yis such'vasfto permitan ,envelopeor other container to bef read? ily opened or closedwithout permanently sealing the/same, thereby to facilitate inspection of the contentsfof the container without tearingor otherwise mutilating said container.

A further object of the invention'is to provide the closure ap of the containerwith a sealing tab having a permanently sticky surface coating thereon which coacts with a smooth surface in the body of the container to hold the nap in closed position while, at the same time, permitting the sticky surface of the tab to be disengaged from said smooth surface when it is desired to inspect sealing tab thereto, and to printor afx to the body of the container a suitable directive legend visible through said tab.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of an envelope provided with the improved closure and showing the closure flap in open position.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showing the ap closed and the tab in sealing position.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig., 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view showing the closure in connection with a brief case.

The improved closure forming the subject matter of the present invention may be used in connection with envelopes, memoranda books, brief v cases, les and other forms of containers used for holding or transporting letters, documents, papers and the like, and, in Fig. 1 of the drawing, is

shown applied to an envelope of standard construction in which 5 designates the body of thev envelope and 6 the closure flap thereof, the upper portion of which is provided with a straight longitudinal edge, indicated at 1. Secured to the closure flap 6 and overlapping the upper edge thereof isla reinforcing' strip is", and 'sentieri tcsaifi rem; forcingstrip and to the'adjacent portion o f" the closure 'flap '6 a sealing jftaby 9 'havinglitsffree endfolded transversely upon itself to'forin ateryminal Iip'ornge piece 1.0i@ j Y VThat lportion ofthe innensurface vofthe tab "9 between'th finger piece, lliv andthe reinforcing strip V8, .isl l provided with a` permanently' 'SQliy surface II.,Th' adhe'sive'coaftingl I on the sealing tab may be of anydesired composition which will permit the tab to stick and unstick to facilitate inspection of the contents of the container, and said tab may be formed of papergcelluloid, or other suitable material with the adhesiveapplied to the inner surface thereof, or the 'tab /may be constructed of adhesive. material knoJ n to the trade as Scotch tape, it being of noI great moment as to,the particular nature of the material of which the tab is made, so long as the inner face thereof is vprovided with the aforesaid sticky surface.

Stamped on or fixed to the body of the ,container in vertical alinement with the sealing tab 9 isa legend I2 preferably consisting of the words Pull it, which legend is visible through a transparent attaching strip I3 secured to the body of the envelope, as best shown in Fig. 1 f the drawing. The attaching strip I3 is preferably formed of Cellophane or other material having a smooth or glossy exterior surface and which smooth surface coacts with the adhesive material on thesealing tab to hold the closure flap of the envelope in sealing position. Secured to the inner face of the attaching strip I3 at the lower end thereof is a transverse reinforcing strip I4 and this strip I4 is disposed in transverse alinement with the upper edge of the finger piece I0 so that when the sealing tab is in closed position,A the finger piece Iwill be opposite the reinforcing strip I4 andr thus permit the lip or iinger piece I to be readily grasped between the i fingers and an upward pull exerted thereon to detach the adhesive surface I I from the attaching strip I3, when it is desired to open the envelope, without liability of the fingers coming in contact with the adhesive material on the sealing tab. The strip I4 also serves to prevent excessive Wear on the attaching strip I3, due to the ngers coming in contact therewith during the actof opening the envelope. In order to open the envelope, it is merely necessary to grip the lip or nger piece at the reinforcing strip I4 and exert a slight upward pull thereon, when the sticky surface coating of the sealing tab 9 will become detached from thel smooth surface of the attaching memenvelope or other container may be securely heidy in closed position while, at the same time, permitting ready opening of the envelope and inspection of the contents thereof Whenever de-:f

sired.

As previously stated, the closure may be used in connection with brief cases, memoranda books,

and other containers and, in Fig. 46 ,of the drawing, is shown in connection with a brief case of standard construction, in which l5 indicates the body of the brief case and I6 the closure flap thereof, and to which parts is secured a sealing device the construction and operation of ywhich is similar to that shown in Fig. l of the drawing. As many of these sealing devices may be applied to the closure flap of the container as is found desirable or necessary to securely hold theclosure flap in closed positionand it will be understood that the sealing'iiap and attaching strip can, if

desired, be formed from opaque material instead ff of being transparent. that this closure may be used with good results in connection with cigarette packages or the like, when it is desired to obtain access to the cigarettes without tearing or otherwise mutilating the cigarette package. It will, furthermore, be understood that the devices may be made in different sizes and shapes and constructed of any suitable material without departing from the spiritof the invention.

Having thus described the invention ,what is claimed is: i I l 'f A container having a closure flap, an attach- A-ing member secured to the container and having a smooth exterior surface, a. transverse reinforcling strip'on the lower portion of the attaching member, a sealing tab secured to the closure flap and having ltsrfree/,end reverted to form a finger piece adapted 'to'register with said reinforcing strip when the tab is moved to closed lposition, the inner surface of the sealing tab between the finger fpiece vand adjacent edge of vtheiclosure vflap being provided with a permanently sticky surface for detachable engagement with the smoothsurfaceof the attaching member and a transversely U-shaped'l reinforcingv 'strip carried by the-:free

edge of .the flap and havingvone side 'thereofint'erposedbetween said tab and flap.

ALBERT L. G'ODOY.

It will also be understood 

